Methodology for creating sets of related word games and puzzles based on linking rationally chosen letter pairs and/or triplets and linking words that are transformations of each other

ABSTRACT

A word game for being played among one or more participants includes a plurality of two letter word bits, each having a fixed letter combination, wherein the one or more participants attempt to create words of at least four letters by combining the word bits.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/009,689, currently pending, filed on Oct. 3, 2013 as asection 371 of International Application No. PCT/US2012/032370, filedApr. 5, 2012, which was published in the English language on Oct. 11,2012 under International Publication No. WO 2012/138893 which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/471,731, filedApr. 5, 2011, the entire disclosures of all of which are incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to word games, andmore particularly, to word games based on linking letter pairs ortriplets and linking words that are transformations of each other.

For entertainment, education, and for maintenance or restoration of goodbrain function, there are innumerable kinds of word puzzles and games.None are based on linking word parts (letter combinations in a fixedarrangement such as “LE” and “ARN”, which we will call “word bits”) tobuild words. Very few are known that are based on linking words based onthe similarities and differences of their letter patterns, such as MINEand WIND (which differ by the first and fourth letters) beyondone-letter differences. Word games for players who do not know how toread words or even the letters of the alphabet are also unknown.

For building words, there are innumerable popular games and puzzles ofvarious shapes and forms where words are created and/or transformed, butall involve linking individual letters. Games like “SCRABBLE,” “BOGGLE,”and “BANANAGRAMS,” and puzzles like “JUMBLE” are familiar to many. Newergames like “DABBLE” and “BULL'S EYE” are being introduced still. U.S.Pat. No. 6,986,512 B2 describes a word assembly game where individualletters are used to build and to steal words from opponents. U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2010/0009736 describes a word building gamewhere individual letters are extracted from two different words. Inschools, there are games and activities involving letter sets used forteaching, but they are not very sophisticated or interesting. What hasbeen lacking is the approach of utilizing word bits to create acompletely different family of linking-based activities that are diverseand fun and can be played over and over.

Embodiments of the present invention mainly involve the use of word bitsinstead of or in addition to individual letters. The word bit is anindivisible unit, and so letters in the word bits cannot be rearranged.Pairing just two two-letter word bits is enough to form a four-letterword; and many of the games of the present invention have been designedaround this concept. In addition, multiple word bits can be combined(each adjacent pair forming a word) into straight and branched chains.To illustrate, BA-RE-ST-AR-BE is a short chain that contains the wordsBARE, REST, STAR, and BEAR. Note that the above chain is identical toBE-AR-ST-RE-BA; and relative orientation of two bits does not affect theword formation. Branching is accomplished by linking to a unit withinthe chain (e.g., AY to ST to form STAY), and multiple branching can leadto loops and clusters. This linking operation, not possible withindividual letters, is the basis for many of the games and puzzlesdescribed herein. Many games have variations where adjacent word bitsdon't have to form a word but should differ by a letter, and these aregood for non-readers or non-English speakers. Related games include“DOMINOS,” which is not a word game, and the more complicated whole-wordchaining game described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,604. U.S. Pat. No.6,623,009 mentions a word game with game cards containing multiple,random letters, but these letters are not used together like word bitsin forming words.

For linking words, the classic game (a puzzle) is Lewis Carroll'scenturies old “Doublets,” where one word is transformed to another (thetarget word) via a series of intermediate words that change one letterat a time. An example of this “word chain” puzzle is DUCK to SWAN, thesolution being DUCK to DOCK to SOCK to SOAK to SOAP to SWAP to SWAN.U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,062 describes a computer program for creating andsolving Doublets puzzles. The limitation of Carroll's Doublets is thatin the collection there are only a few hundred pairs of related words,usually short (3-5 letters long). For longer words few puzzles exist,and the solutions are usually difficult long chains. There is no form ofassistance given to the player other than to specify the number ofsteps. Finally, Parker Brothers' “SCRABBLE SLAM” is a commercializedcard game where words are continuously transformed one letter at a time,but with no target word. The serious limitation of these games withsingle-letter changes is that, for any particular word, the possibletransformations are few in number, so that few words can be generated.

Making word chain puzzles like Carroll's Doublets has been improved byembodiments of the present invention in at least two major ways: (1) bypresenting the puzzle in an innovative grid that contains built-inguides as well as optional aids that are readily available but easy toforgo; and (2) by changing the word-to-word transformation from aone-letter change to a two-letter change (or even a three-letterchange). Changing two or three letters at a time allows transformationof a word to many more new words, such that many paths to the targetword are possible. So the creation of puzzles with longer words andshorter solutions, and/or with more interesting pairs of words howeverdiverse, has been accomplished.

Doublets puzzles where the related words to be linked do not have to beof the same length have been made possible by combining thetransformation of letter replacement with the addition of one or twoletters and removal of one or two letters. This new approach has allowedthe creation of a new breed of doublets. These are especially suitableas educational puzzles, using as word pairs synonyms, antonyms, andassociated words such as ADHERE to STICK, GIGANTIC to SMALL, and CARDIACto HEART.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a word game forbeing played among one or more participants. The game includes aplurality of two letter word bits, each having a fixed lettercombination, wherein the one or more participants attempt to createwords of at least four letters by combining the word bits in pairs,chains, or clusters. In preferred embodiments, the game further includesindividual letters and three letter word bits that can be used in wordformation.

Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a word gamefor being played among one or more participants. The game includes agrid having at least three rows and at least three columns whichintersect to form sections. Each section is configured to receive aletter. The grid sections in the rows located between the first and lastrows of the grid initially are empty. A starting word is provided in thefirst row of the grid and is formed by a plurality of letters. A targetword is provided in the last row of the grid and is formed by aplurality of letters. The starting word and the target word aredifferent. A guide is disposed within the grid and is configured toprovide assistance to the one or more participants in completing theword game. The one or more participants attempt to complete the wordgame by filling in the initially empty grid sections with letters suchthat a word formed by the letters in any row of the grid is linked to aword formed by the letters in an adjacent row by double letter change.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a wordgame for being played among one or more participants. The game includesa first grid having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns whichintersect to form sections, each section being configured to receive aletter. The grid sections initially are empty. A second grid has aplurality of initially empty spaces, the number of empty spacescorresponding to the number of rows in the first grid. The game furtherincludes a list of clues having a word as a solution, each cluecorresponding to a respective one of the plurality of rows of the firstgrid or the second grid. The one or more participants attempt tocomplete the word game by filling in the grid sections of the first gridsuch that a word formed by the letters in a row of the grid is linked toa word formed by the letters in a preceding row by one of single letterchange, double letter change, or triple letter change, and by filling inthe spaces of the second grid using a letter from each of the rows ofthe first grid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description ofthe invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction withthe appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention,there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presentlypreferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is notlimited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1A is a diagram representing a set of individual letter word bitsfor use with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a diagram representing a set of two-letter word bits for usewith certain preferred embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 1C is a diagram representing a set of three-letter word bits foruse with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram representing a subset of four-letter words for usewith certain preferred embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3A is a diagram representing possible configurations of pairs ofwords and word bits in accordance with certain preferred embodiments ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3B is a diagram representing possible configurations of chains ofwords and word bits in accordance with certain preferred embodiments ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3C is a diagram representing possible configurations of clusters ofwords and word bits in accordance with certain preferred embodiments ofthe present invention;

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of word bit tiles and word tiles foruse with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5A is a top plan view of word bit cards and word cards for use withcertain preferred embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5B is a front perspective view of word bit cubes and word cubes foruse with certain preferred embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6A is a schematic representation of game pieces in accordance witha first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a schematic representation of a game in progress inaccordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7A is a schematic representation of a game area in accordance witha second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7B is a partial schematic representation of linking variations inaccordance with the second preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of game pieces for use with a thirdpreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9A is a schematic representation of word bits for use with a fourthpreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9B is a schematic representation of a solution including the wordbits of FIG. 9A;

FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of a game board and pieces for usewith a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11A is a schematic representation of possible arrangement of tilesin accordance with a sixth preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 11B is a top plan view of a game board for use with the sixthpreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11C is a schematic representation of multiple turns of a game inaccordance with the sixth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12A is a front perspective view of a word bit cube for use with anseventh embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 12B-12H are schematic representations of multiple turns of a gamein accordance with the seventh embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 13A-13L are schematic representation of multiple turns of a gamein accordance with a eighth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14A is a schematic representation of game pieces for use with aninth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14B is a schematic representation of game pieces for use with antenth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15A is a schematic representation of a puzzle and its solution inaccordance with a eleventh embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 15B-15F are schematic representations of a grid and languagevariations of the eleventh embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16A is a schematic representation of word bits and a possiblesolution for use in a twelfth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16B is a schematic representation of word bits and a possiblesolution for use in a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16C is a schematic representation of word bits and a possiblesolution for use in a fourteenth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17A is a schematic representation of a maze in accordance with afifteenth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17B is a schematic representation of a maze in accordance with asixteenth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17C is a schematic representation of a maze in accordance with aseventeenth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17D is a schematic representation of a maze in accordance with aeighteenth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18A is a schematic representation of a puzzle in accordance with anineteenth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18B is a partial solution to the puzzle of FIG. 18A;

FIG. 18C is the full solution to the puzzle of FIG. 18A;

FIG. 19A is a schematic representation of a puzzle in accordance with atwentieth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19B is a solution to the puzzle of FIG. 19A;

FIG. 20A is a schematic representation of a puzzle in accordance with atwenty-first embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 20B is a partial solution to the puzzle of FIG. 20A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenienceonly and is not limiting. The words “right”, “left”, “lower”, and“upper” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made.The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” refer to directions toward and awayfrom, respectively, the geometric center of the object and designatedparts thereof. The terminology includes the above-listed words,derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. Additionally, thewords “a” and “an”, as used in the claims and in the correspondingportions of the specification, mean “at least one.”

Embodiments of the invention described herein are directed to word gamesfor being played among one or more participants or players. Each gamepreferably includes a set of rules, which are described herein forvarious embodiments.

The name “WordLinks” is used to refer to the invented game system of funand progressively educational games (including puzzles). All involvelinking; and most have linking variations derived from two complementaryconcepts (“WordBits” and “Word Mutation”).

“Word bits” are building blocks of words consisting of combinations oftwo or three letters in a particular order. A set of word bits chosenand organized for maximum fun, versatility, and educational value hasbeen created (the “WordBits Set”). Single letters are also word buildingblocks and are sometimes used along with word bits in the games. Thecommon object of many WordLinks games is to link word bits to form wordsthat are preferably two to six letters long, although longer words maybe used. The thinking process and game dynamic are different from whenonly individual letters are used.

“Word mutation” refers mostly to word transformations involving thereplacement, addition, or removal of one or two letters. However,transformation of long words by replacing three or more letters is alsodone. Finally, single letter replacement is possible as a transformationprocess for word bits. When one word is transformed to the other, theprocess is reversible, and the two words are in fact “linked” by thedefined difference between them. Therefore, word mutation is a way tolink words (and word bits) based on letter recognition and patternmatching.

A set of common four-letter words featuring the most common word bitsand chosen and organized for maximum fun, versatility, and educationalvalue has been created. This “Word Mutation Set” complements theWordBits set as part of WordLinks. Although there are a few exceptions,most WordLinks games can be played in exactly the same way using linkingby word formation (using, e.g., word bit tiles) or linking by wordmutation (using, e.g., word bit or word tiles). Most anyone can play theword mutation variation of some games including kids still learningtheir alphabet and non-English speakers.

The games can be played for fun and relaxation, competition, educationand skills development, socialization, and clinical intervention. Allgames and the way they are played (versions and variations) have beencharacterized according to the number of players, player skills needed,benefits provided, complexity, and type of activity. People can playalone, with one other person, in a group of up to eight, or as part of aroomful of players. Play can range from leisurely to furiously fast, andplayers can choose their pace. Players can control the number of roundsand other game variables in order to have shorter or longer games.Handicapping to allow less experienced players to compete against goodplayers is easily done. The games have been designed to be simple tolearn but continuously challenging. People play at their skill level(because the level of difficulty can often be controlled) and advance tohigher levels as they gain experience.

The basic operation of linking of units (word bits or words) has beendescribed. The units are linked into pairs, simple chains, or clusters(highly branched chains with units linked to multiple other units). Theword bits and words are preferably in the physical form of tiles(although cards, cubes, die, chips, tokens, polyhedra, spheres, or otherlike physical representations may be used); or on paper (usually forpuzzles); or within an electronic program or computer application.

Puzzles are normally solitary activities, but they can be solved byteams. They have difficulty levels assigned so that players can startwith easy puzzles and then rise to their own skill level. There arefeatures and optional guides that allow a player to play within hisability and still succeed. Some have multiple solutions beyond the bestone, and so a player can tackle a puzzle several times in attempts toimprove his performance.

Described herein are five basic WordLinks games which differ accordingto the game objective. All games have versions, and a game or versionsusually has variations from which to choose. All games use the WordBitsand/or Word Mutation tile set (either physical or electronic) or a partof it, and a few require accessorial game pieces. Some puzzles use theword bits tiles, while some require only the printed or electronicpuzzle. Most of the games and puzzles have common elements andprocedures as mentioned above. There are common goals, operations, andterms from game to game. They are briefly explained below, illustratedin the figures, and explained fully in the discussion of each individualgame.

The term “bits” refers to word bits supplemented by individual letters;while the term “active bit” refers to a bit available for linking. Theiruse implies that the preferred version uses WordBits. The term “unit”refers to a bit or word that is to be linked, and its use implies thatthe preferred version uses either WordBits or Word Mutation. The term“supply pool” refers to the source of units from which a player can getunits to link. For each game, versions are referred to as “1A”, “1B”, orthe like, and the preferred or illustrative format is the primaryversion “A”.

In game 1 and its versions, the goal is to be the first to link bits andform words. Hence all players are active at the same time. In 1A thebits come from one's personal pool, with the player being able toexchange an unwanted bit from his pool with one from a shared supplypool, where only some bits are active at any one time. The nature of thepool differs for each of the versions and variations.

In game 2 and its versions, the goal is to form the most words. Playersusually take turns or play alone. The supply pool for 2A is a personalpool of finite bits which decreases in number as words are formed. Thenature of the pool differs for each version and variations.

In game 3 and its versions (all puzzles) all the units are given, andthe goal is to find the correct partner for each, and make the rightlinks to form the required number of words or to find the correct bit orword chain. The type of link is specified for each puzzle. In 3A an evennumber of word bits is provided and each has only one correct partner inorder for the maximum number of words to be formed. For the preferredvariation, the second part of the puzzle is to correctly stack the wordsin a configured grid to find a final word.

In game 4 and its versions, the goal is to create the correct word chaingiven only the ends of the chain. The type of linking is by a specifiedword transformation. In 4A the player uses a specially designed gridthat provides built-in guides and constraints and optional aids toentering letters and words. In one variation only one end is given, butthe transformation is given for each step.

In game 5 and its versions, the goal is to find the correct word bit orword chains or clusters given only descriptive clues (as in crosswordpuzzles) with the benefit of a configured grid and with the type oflinking specified. In 5A the grid is similar to the one for 4A.

WordLinks sets of word bits and words are shown in FIGS. 1A-1C and 2. AWordBits set is shown in FIGS. 1A-1C while a Word Mutation set isillustrated in FIG. 2.

In FIG. 1A, the set of word bits includes an individual letter set 11(the numbers on each tile indicate how many tiles of that letter are inthe set). A set of two-letter word bits 12 are shown in FIG. 1B and arepreferably arranged according to color group: nine groups of twenty bitseach. The color of each tile serves a key role in many of the gamesdisclosed herein. Although color is used for grouping, other groupingmethods such as use of numbering, symbols, shapes, sizes, or the likemay be used. A set of three-letter word bits composed of consonant pairsplus a vowel are shown in FIG. 1C. Three-letter word bits that commonlyserve as the front of longer words (“heads”) are shown in an upper group13, while the three letter word bits that are commonly used in the endof longer words (“tails”) are shown in a bottom group 14. Word bits withone consonant and two vowels and with three consonants are also used butnot shown.

It should be noted that WordBits sets in other languages like French,Spanish, Pilipino, or the like may be used so that the games describedhere can be played in other languages, using the appropriate WordBitsset.

FIG. 2 shows a subset 21 of four-letter words contained in a WordMutation set. These words are used for games or variations involvingword transformation linking They are preferably grouped in color groupsfor scoring purposes; but the colors of the letters (specifically thevowels) are associated with pronunciation of the vowel or vowel pair(digraph). The phonetic symbol for the sound may be used in addition toor instead of the color code.

Types of Linking

The goal of all the games is to link words or word bits; but there aremany ways by which these units can be linked. Below is a chart of thedifferent types of linking for word bits. The three types of links forword bits (single letter change, word formation, and word assembly), therequirements for each, and examples are given. The difference betweenword formation and word assembly is that word formation is confined tolinking two bits, while in word assembly more than two bits may be usedin a forming a word.

LINKING WORD BITS Type of EXAMPLES Link Requirement for link Word bitsResult Single Linked word bits of the same length must differ NO NE Oand E differ letter by a letter in the same position TRA THA R and Hdiffer change Word Two linked word bits must form a valid word. A N A-Nformation The bits do not have to have the same number of LD O O-LDletters. CA RD CA-RD ICK TR TR-ICK Word Two or more linked word bitsmust form a valid MA C GI MA-GI-C Assembly word. EAD M SL I M-I-SL-EADThe bits do not have to have the same number of letters.

The types of linking for words are shown in the chart below. The sixcommon types of mutation links for words are shown (single letterchange, double letter change, single letter addition, double letteraddition, single letter removal, and double letter removal); and theseventh type is for advanced players (triple letter change). Examplesand explanations are given to demonstrate each transformation that linksthe pair of words given.

LINKING WORDS EXAMPLES Type of Link Requirement for link Word 1 Word 2Explanation Single letter Linked words must SING to SONG I and O differchange differ by one letter in BRAIN to BRAWN I and W differ the sameposition Double Linked words must KING to MINT K-G and M-T letter differby two letters in differ change the same positions PLUMBER to PLUNGER MBand NG differ Single letter Linked words must PAIN to PANIC C addedaddition differ by one added w/rearrangement letter, with rearrange- HOTto SHOT S added ment possible w/o rearrangement Double Linked words mustSIN to SAINT A and T added letter differ by two added w/o rearrangementaddition letters, with rearrange- PRIDE to DESPAIR S and A added mentpossible w/rearrangement Single letter Linked words must SHE to HE Sremoved removal differ by one removed w/o rearrangement letter, withrearrange- PARADISE to DESPAIR A removed ment possible w/rearrangementDouble Linked words must APPLE to PEA P and L removed letter differ bytwo removed w/rearrangement removal letters, with rearrange- TWIST toWIT T and S removed ment possible w/o rearrangement Triple letter Linkedwords must CHARITY to CHARADE ITY and ADE change differ by three lettersdiffer in the same positions BROWN to GREEN B-OW and G-EE differ

Linking Configurations

The goal of all the games is to make links, but each specific game orversion specifies the linking configurations—what units are linked, howmany units are used and how they are arranged. FIGS. 3A-3C demonstratehow linking word bits or words can lead to three differentconfigurations: (1) pairs 31 and 32, (2) simple chains 33 and 34, or (3)clusters 35 and 36, which are highly branched chains with units linkingto multiple adjacent units. The examples include linked word bits andlinked words.

The diagram of each example shows the words that are being formed, orthe transformation that links each pair of words. In several instanceswhere word formation is the kind of link, the orientation of one bit tothe other does not affect the validity of the link. The word can be readupwards or right to left as long as the letters of the word bits arekept unchanged. This is important in chains and in clusters: note thatin the word formation chain PA-GE-AR-ST 33, the ends can be even belinked (PA+ST=PAST) to form a loop.

Basic Game Pieces

Shown in FIG. 4 are drawings of the preferred types of tiles 41 in theWordLinks set: those with individual letters, those with two letter-wordbits, those with three-letter word bits, and the preferred types oftiles 42 with words. Since the word bit tiles 41 are often usedtogether, they are usually of the same type of tile, i.e., size andmaterial (e.g., wood, plastic, or the like). The same is true for tiles42. Analogous card sets containing word bits 54 and words 55, as shownin FIG. 5A, can be used but the tiles are the preferred physical form.In specific instances it is more interesting to use word bit cubes 56,as shown in FIG. 5B, of different designs and sizes that, e.g., contain2-letter word bits on each face, 2-letter word bits on four faces andsingle letters on two faces, or a single letter on each face; or wordcubes 57 with e.g., 3-letter or 4-letter words on each face. Asdescribed above, although the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4, 5A, and 5Bare preferred, any other type of three-dimensional object may also beused as a game piece, such as tokens, die, polyhedra, spheres, or thelike. The game pieces may be virtual instead of physical, e.g., indigital versions of the game for use with electronic devices.

General Rules

Because the many games and puzzles are related, it is possible to listsome rules and definitions that will generally apply. Specific sets ofrules for certain games or puzzles would supersede the general ruleslisted below.

VALID WORDS—In word formation, no capitalized, hyphenated,apostrophized, abbreviated, or vulgar words are allowed. Players shouldagree on which dictionary to use to resolve challenges of word validity.

EXTENDED WORDS—When playing games and puzzles with five- and/orsix-letter words, a player can form what is called an “extended word.”These are words assembled by simple addition of “extender” letters tothe front or back of base words, without change in meaning or spelling.The common extender letters added as suffixes after the base word are S,R, N, D, Y as well as E+R, E+D, E+N. O+R, E+E, S+T, and L+Y. Thosecommonly added in front of the base word as a prefix include R+E, U+N,and I+N and others. For example, BOUT-S and BARE-D are extended wordsfrom BO-UT and BA-RE; and RE-HIRE and UN-WELL are extended words of HIREand WELL. Note however that A-BOUT is not an extended word of BO-UT.Adding an R to the middle of the pair BA-ED to form BA-R-ED is validsince the root word BARE is not extended with a single letter. In somegames, the extended word is disallowed, or is allowed accompanied by apoint deduction per letter beyond the base word.

UNDECLARED WORDS—When forming five- and six-letter words (called “fives”and “sixes,” respectively) using pairs of two-letter word bits, singleletter tiles may be used. However, there is a variation to this usingblanks or spaces as “undeclared letters,” such that the word formed isan “undeclared word” (either an “undeclared five” or an “undeclaredsix”). When a player forming a five-letter word pairs up and assemblesthe word bits in the correct order, he uses a blank or space torepresent the fifth letter. Using the symbol # to represent theundeclared letter, CL-OW-# would represent CL-OW-N; #-LA-CE couldrepresent PLACE; and LA-#-CE would be LANCE. In forming a six-letterword, a similar procedure is used except two undeclared letters areused. Thus #-AG-#-ON could represent LAGOON; JU-#-#-ST could representJURIST; and OR-#-HI-# could represent ORCHID. Opposing players maychallenge if they do not think that a valid word can be formed. Inadvanced games no blanks or spaces are used, words with the position(s)of the undeclared letter(s) unspecified to opponents. These words arecalled “unspecified words.”

PLAYING TOGETHER WITH DIFFERENT SKILL LEVELS—Unless the object ofplayers is simply to win, a competitive game is best for all. Therefore,when the skill levels of players are different and known (e.g., frompast performance), it is desirable to level the playing field so thateach player is playing equally hard and all have a chance to win. Inmany games a way of handicapping superior players is described: lessexperienced players can be given “equalizers,” such as being tasked withforming fewer and/or shorter words, having more time, or being exemptfrom the normal restrictions and/or being immune from penalties. Allthis should be agreed upon before starting.

Game 1

In game 1 and its versions, the goal is to be the first to link bits andform words. Hence, all players are active at the same time. In thepreferred embodiment the bits come from one's personal pool, with theplayer being able to exchange an unwanted bit from his pool with onefrom a shared supply pool, where only some bits are active at any onetime. The nature of the pool differs for each of the versions andvariations.

Variation 1A

The object of game 1A is to form 4-letter words by pairing word bits 61(FIG. 6A) from their personal pool or hand. After starting, a player canchange an unwanted bit in his hand with one from the supply pool whichcontains bits that are face up and face down, at any time and as oftenas he wants. He does this by placing the unwanted bit face up in thesupply pool and then picking up a new bit. A player must form his targetnumber of words ahead of the others in order to gain “win chips” 62(FIG. 6A) which are preferably plastic chips or tokens, but may takeother forms, such as cards, tiles, or the like. Each player's targetnumber of words for a round is the number on his “skill card” 63 (whichcontains a number based on his skill) plus the number of chips he haswon. Thus, because they need to form fewer words, less experiencedplayers can compete; and players trailing during a game have a goodchance of catching up with the leaders.

Preferably two to eight players can play. Based on performance inprevious games (if known), players may be given skill cards with numbersranging from BUNNY 1 (less experienced) to HARE 6 (highly skilled). Aswill be explained below, the numbers denote the initial target number ofwords the player is assigned to form. Players may also start on evenground by getting the same RABBIT 4 skill card. The bits are thoroughlymixed face down on a table or other playing surface. A supply pool isformed by arranging the bits in a tight circle, with an open space inthe center for discards, in the middle of the table.

Players take a predetermined number of bits, preferably equal to twicethe number printed on their respective skill cards, in order to form ahand for the round. For example, a BUNNY 1 player needs to only form oneword, and so he takes two bits. A HARE 6 player needs six words andtakes twelve bits. Players turn their bits over at the same time,arrange them, and try to create words by pairing the word bits fromtheir hand. A player may change one bit at any time, as many times as hewants. To change a bit, a player preferably must first discard the tileface up in the discard zone in the center of the supply pool, beforepicking up the replacement (a face-down bit or a face-up discard). Aplayer may not obscure the view of the discarded tiles by having handsover the area longer than needed to change tiles. Upon forming hisnumber of target words, a player may claim points by saying “DONE.” Oncea player says “DONE,” he may no longer touch his tiles. Preferably aftertwo or three players have said “DONE,” they check and may challenge anyof each other's words. If a finisher is found to have an invalid word,he is eliminated from the round. The others continue play until they aretold that all words of the first two players are valid, upon which theround ends. Preferably, the first place player gets two win chips andthe second place player gets one win chip.

In a preferred embodiment, whenever a player wins in a round and gainschips, his target number of words increases for the next round. Forexample, a player with a skill card of RABBIT 4 and no chips has atarget number of four (4+0=4). If he finishes first he wins two chips,his target number of words increases from four to six (4+2=6). A playerwith a skill card of BUNNY 2 with 3 chips that finishes in second placewins one chip; and his target number of words increases from five (2+3)to six (2+4). The more that a player wins, the more chips he gains sothat his target number of words continues to increase. To start the nextround, all tiles are returned to the supply pool and the initial set-upis repeated. Rounds are played as earlier rounds except that the targetwords continue to increase in number. Preferably, the player thataccumulates ten win chips is the winner.

Referring to FIG. 6A, the game pieces needed to play game 1A are shown:word bits tiles 61, win chips 62, and skill cards 63. As shown in thegame illustrated in FIG. 6B, four players of different skill levels areplaying. The supply pool 64 is in the middle of the table. The greysquares represent face-down tiles. The word bits TO, RK, PR, WE, ST andJA are face up in the discard zone. Player 1 65 has a BUNNY 2 skill cardand 2 win chips (he needs to form 2+2=4 words to win the round). Basedon their skill cards and win chips, player 2 66 needs to form 5+1=6words; player 3 67 needs to form 3+0=3 words 66; and player 4 68 needsto form 1+2=3 words.

All players may arrange their word bits as needed and can exchange anyone bit at any time, so in this scenario, any could win the round withthe following plays: (1) Player 1 65 may discard GO and take ST to formLO-ST. But he can win more easily by linking his two bits to form LO-GOas his fourth word. (2) Player 2 66 can best finish by rearranging hisbits. He can unlink PA-TH and then pair TH with EM to form TH-EM; and PAwith IN to form PA-IN. (3) Player 3 67 cannot link either WH or OY withany open bit. His best play is to discard one and take ST; and quicklydiscard again and take WE to form WE-ST. (4) Player 4 68 cannot paireither SH or HI with any open bit. One option is to do as player 3 67and compete for the open tiles WE and ST. But he can also discard HI,keeping SH, and take a closed tile. SH can link with many bits, and hehopes for a bit like AM, CA, DA, OP, or DI to pair with SH and formSH-AM, CA-SH, DA-SH, SH-OP, or DI-SH as his fourth word.

Variation 1A1

The object of game variation 1A1, which can be played with tiles, cards,cubes, or the like, is to be the one to link a word bit from one'spersonal pool with the one shared target word bit, revealed so that allplayers see it at the same time. The target bit is changed if no oneclaims it. Players can change the bits in their pool whenever a word isformed. The winner is the first player to form five words.

Variation 1A2

The object of game variation 1A2 is to search for and claim as many wordbit tiles from the shared supply pool that can be linked to a sharedtarget bit, revealed so that all players see it at the same time; and tobe the first to form three valid words within the time limit for theround. A maximum of three tiles may be grabbed. An additional target bitis revealed if the first one produces no winner within the time limit.The winner is the first player to form 15 words.

General variations, for example with respect to changing the length ofthe word formed and the type of linking (e.g., from word formation tomutation), may be made without departing from the invention.

Variation 1B

Game version 1B is a highly interactive floor game for many players, whostart the game confined inside a defined “enclosure.” The object is tolink one's word bit tile or card with another player's to form afour-letter word as quickly as possible. The couples who are first ableto form words are allowed to leave the enclosure. Players withoutcorrectly linked bits are eliminated.

As many players as can fit in the room may play, including kids who canform four-letter words. An enclosure 71 large enough to hold the playersis preferably created by placing highly visible game pads (more padsthan players) in the perimeter of the enclosure. The enclosure may alsobe established based on a preexisting structure, or may be defined byoutlines, physical reference points, or the like. One of theparticipants is assigned the role of a “gatekeeper” 73, who decides if aword is valid or not, and is positioned at a break in the enclosure 71.Enough word bits are mixed and one bit is placed, face down, on eachpad.

Initially, all players go inside the enclosure and move around. Whengiven the signal, each player picks up a word bit from a pad. Playerscompare their word bits with those of other players and try to form aword. A player is preferably allowed to have only one word bit at atime. If a player does not like his word bit, he may exchange it for oneon a pad. The bit must be put back face down. When two players thinkthat their bits can be linked into a word, they rush to the gatekeeper73, show their word, and get permission to exit the enclosure 71 to thefree space 72. They are allowed exit only if the word is valid. The lastplayers left inside are eliminated from the game. The number eliminateddepends on the number of players and on the game duration desired.

The same word bits or a different set may be used for different rounds.The word bits are mixed and again placed randomly on the pads. Survivingplayers re-enter the enclosure 71 and the round is played as before,with fewer players playing from round to round. In the last round, onlyfour players will remain. The pair that gets out first is the winner.

Variation 1B1

Referring to FIG. 7B, game variation 1B1 is played very similarly togame 1B except that four or more players must form a closed chain 75(e.g., a loop) in order to safely exit the enclosure. Unlinked playersmay be “captured” by a loop that closes around them and be eliminatedthat way. The game ends when four surviving players remain.

General variations, for example with respect to changing the length ofthe word formed, and the type of linking (e.g., from word formation toletter change), and the linking configuration (e.g., chain instead ofpair) may be made without departing from the invention.

Variation 1C

The object of game version 1C is to be the first to form fivefour-letter words lined up in a game card. Each unique game cardpreferably contains a 5×5 array of 25 squares, each with a word bit. Oneach turn, the same square (same column and row) in everyone's card isactivated by a caller via dice roll. Words are formed by linking theword bit in the activated square with a word bit tile. If the player isable to find a suitable tile in his own personal supply pool or in ashared pool, the player fills the activated square by laying the wordbit tile thereon. On occasion, the die roll allows the players to choosewhich square in a row or column to fill.

Preferably two to six players can play. Players agree on game pace (thetime limit per turn). Players agree on additional or fewer active tilesper round (12 for a standard game) which changes game speed andcomplexity. Each player picks a game card with twenty five squares witha word bit printed on each (different for each card) in a 5×5 array. Thecolumns are preferably labeled W, I, N, G and O; and the rows arenumbered 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Thus, each square in a card is defined byits row and column (e.g., W-2 or G-5). A “row die” (with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,and a “wild” on its faces) and a “column die” (with W, I, N, G, O, and“wild” on its faces) are used. A set of pattern cards may be used toincrease the ways for how “WINGO” can be achieved.

To start, the word bit tiles are mixed face down. A “dealer” is chosenfor the first turn. The dealer opens six randomly chosen tiles andplaces them on a pad. This is the common pool, available for any playerto use. Each player gets six tiles from the supply pool as his hand(personal pool). Thus there are a total of 12 active tiles for eachplayer at any time. The dealer starts the timer and rolls the row dieand the column die. The top faces identify the position of the square inthe cards that is active for the turn. A wild row die roll means thatany square in the rolled column is active; and a wild column die rollmeans that any square in the rolled row is active. Two wilds rolledmeans that all squares are active. The dealer identifies the activatedsquare(s) very clearly so all players can hear the call. If he can, aplayer finds a suitable active tile from his hand or the common pool andplaces it on the activated square in his card. When a wild has beenrolled, players may continue to fill squares within the time allowed.Each time a player places a tile on his card, he immediately replaces itwith a new tile from the inactive supply pool (placing it in hispersonal pool or in the common pool as appropriate). A player who gets atile from the common pool may not return it: he must place it on theactivated square. The turn ends when the 1-minute time limit is reached.Each player declares the word(s) that he has formed. Any player maychallenge the validity of any word, with the winner getting to removeany tile from the loser's card. The role of dealer passes to the playerto the left of the last one, and another turn is begun by repeating theabove-listed steps. Before each turn a player may replace the tiles inhis personal supply pool. The game ends when a player has formed validwords in five squares that are in a line horizontally, vertically, ordiagonally, and declares “WINGO.”

Referring to FIG. 8, a game version 1C is shown in progress. A partiallyfilled game card 81 is shown. In this card design (other designs arepossible) word bits are printed in the top and bottom of each square sothat the word formed is visible even after laying a tile on the square.The Column Die 82 has W, I, N, G, O, and “wild” on the faces (althoughthe faces are not marked in the drawing). The Row Die 83 can be aregular die where the rolled number determines the row (with 6=“wild”).

Tiles have been placed on some squares to form words (W-1=LA-RK;O-1=SH-IP; N-3=VO-TE; and the like). Since the object of the game is tofill in a line of five squares in the game card, the player can win onthe next turn if he can form a word with GE in position O-4 (filling the0 column, shown by line 84) or with TH in position G-2 (completing thesouthwest-northeast diagonal, shown by line 85). Additional patterncards 86 are also shown.

Other variations, for example with respect to changing the dimensions ofthe grid, changing the word length, using undeclared words, or changingthe type of linking (e.g., from word formation to mutation), may be madewithout departing from the invention.

Variation 1D

The object of game version 1D is to be the first to identify and claimwords of any length that can be formed by assembling two or more bitsthat have been revealed. The bits are revealed two at a time, andinclude single letters, two-letter word bits, and three-letter wordbits. Players claim a word by calling it and assembling the bits in thecorrect order. Each word is worth the number of letters in it.

Preferably two to six players can play. Cards or cubes may be usedinstead of tiles. Words assembled by simple extension are not allowed.To start, the bits are mixed and one of the participants is designatedas a dealer for the turn. The dealer reveals (deals) two bits at a time,in such a way that all players get to see the bits at the same time. Hecontinues to reveal bits until a word is claimed. The first to claimbits gets to form his word. More than one player may make a claim. Ifthe same bit is claimed simultaneously, the player forming the longerword gets the bit. A word can be challenged by any player. The winner ofthe challenge gets a 1-point bonus, and the loser, a 1-point penalty.When a word has been successfully claimed, the caller gathers the bitsand places them in front of him. At any time a player may lengthen anexisting word by adding available bit(s) to it, rearranging the bits asneeded. The player takes possession of the new word if the original wordbelongs to another player. The turn ends when at least one word has beenformed or lengthened. The dealer records the scores, giving one pointper letter to each player with words. The above-described steps arerepeated for each turn. Preferably, the game ends when a player hasscored 20 points.

General variations, for example with respect to changing the length ofthe word formed and the type of linking (e.g., from word formation tomutation), may be made without departing from the invention.

Game 2

In game 2 and its versions, the goal is to form the most words. Playersusually take turns or play alone. The supply pool, particularly forversion 2A, is preferably a personal pool of finite bits which change innumber as words are formed, any of which can be changed at any time; butwhich decrease in number as words are formed, all within the timeallotted.

Variation 2A

The object of game 2A, a puzzle, is to form the most four-letter wordsby pairing two-letter word bits belonging to two or more color groupsfrom the WordBits set. The rule is that each word must have bits ofdifferent color. Since each of the nine color groups has twenty wordbits, the target number of words is ten times the number of color groupsused, from twenty (for two color groups) to ninety (for all ninegroups).

The four-letter words are called “Fours,” and so at first the playermust decide if he wants to do a Twenty Fours puzzle (using two colorgroups), or, for example, a Forty Fours puzzle (using four colorgroups). Then, the player must choose which color group combination touse. There are literally hundreds of puzzles to choose from.

The tiles from the color groups are chosen and player(s) try to form asmany fours as possible, using bits of different colors to form eachword. Points are preferably scored based, at least partially, on thenumber of words formed. For example, the solution may be scored bycounting the number of words formed and crediting three points per word.If possible, an official WordBits list of valid words where each word isclassified as common, uncommon, or obscure should be referenced. Onepoint is deducted from the score for each uncommon word and two pointsfor each obscure word to obtain the adjusted score.

For each of the puzzles, there is no unique solution and bettersolutions (more words, fewer uncommon and obscure words) can be found intime. A puzzle is completely solved when a perfect score is achieved,i.e., the target number of words is met and all the words are commonwords. For Twenty Fours, no 20-word solution to any puzzle is known atthis time; but at least 15 words are possible for all puzzles. Few30-word solutions are known at this time but many 29- and 28-wordsolutions exist. Many 40-word solutions are known for the Forty Fourspuzzles, but some only have 39- and 38-word solutions at this time. Forthe larger puzzles, solutions with the maximum number of words (50, 60,70, 80, and 90) are common, but these can always be improved bydecreasing the number of less common and obscure words.

FIG. 9A shows an example of a Forty Fours puzzle 91 and FIG. 9B shows apossible solution 92. Note that each word consists of bits fromdifferent color groups 93, which for purposes of illustration aredenoted by group number. The particular solution 92 in FIG. 9B can stillbe improved since three uncommon words have reduced the score from theperfect 120 points to 117 points.

Variation 2A1

Game variation 2A1 is a similar puzzle as game 2A, except that using thesame color group combination and pairing word bits to form four-letterwords, five-letter words are formed by adding one individual orundeclared letter to the two two-letter word bits. Extended words arepreferably allowed. As with game 2A, the puzzle solution is scoredaccording to the number of words formed (3 points per word), but it isadjusted by deducting 1 point for each extended word and by adding 1point for words where the word bits are separated.

Variation 2A2

Game variation 2A2 is a similar puzzle as game 2A, except that using thesame color group combination and pairing word bits to form four-letterwords, six-letter words are formed by adding two individual orundeclared letter to the two two-letter word bits. Extended words areallowed. As with game 2A, the puzzle solution is scored according to thenumber of words formed (3 points per word), but it is adjusted bydeducting 1 point for each extender letter and by adding 1 point foreach space between the word bits.

Variation 2B

The object of game version 2B is to form the most four-letter words bypairing word bits located in the lower and upper parts of a preferablygridded 10×10 board. The game starts with word bits in the bottom andtop rows. The player tries to create space in the board by forming wordsand removing the paired tiles. On regular time intervals, a row of tennew word bits is pushed into the top row of the board. All tiles at thetop part of the board are thus pushed to the next lower row, decreasingthe space in the middle of the board. On regular preferably larger timeintervals, the active tiles from the top of the board are slid down tothe bottom part, drastically changing the pool of active word bits. Thegame ends when tiles in a column can no longer be pushed down, or thetime limit (if any) expires. The score is based on the number of wordsformed.

Preferably two to four players can play, and each must have his ownboard. The word bit tiles are mixed face down and arranged in rows often on the table. The supply pool is divided such that each player hasthe same number of supply pool rows above the active area of his board.Players take turns as timekeeper, or ask a non-player to play the role.The default time intervals to use are preferably two and six minutes,respectively, although alternative time intervals may be agreed upon bythe players.

Each player takes three rows from the supply pool and places one row ineach of rows 2, 5, and 8 of the board. The timer is started, followingwhich all tiles are to be turned over. The bottom twenty tiles are sliddown to rows 1 and 2, and the other ten tiles are slid up to row 10.Players then start linking active tiles to make words. Active tiles arethe tiles that have an empty square above or below them. Initially, allthe active tiles are the ones in rows 2 and 10. When an active tile isremoved, the tile immediately below or above it in a column becomesactive. The timekeeper says “add” after two minutes, and each playerquickly takes a row of ten fresh tiles from the supply pool, and slidesthe tiles into row 10. All tiles in the upper part of the board arepushed down to the next lower row. Players continue forming words untilthe timekeeper says “check” after preferably 6 minutes. At this point,play is paused. The words formed are examined, and any player canchallenge any other player's word. The winner of the challenge gets toplace two tiles from the back of the loser's supply pool anywhere on theloser's board. After all challenges (if any) have been resolved, thetimekeeper says “drop and add.” Each player slides the lowest tile ineach column from the top part of his board down to the bottom part,changing the active tiles. He then pushes ten fresh tiles in row 10. Thegame ends for each player when bits in a column can no longer be pusheddown, or the supply pool is exhausted. The winner is the player with themost words.

FIG. 10 shows a game of version 2B in mid-play. Preferably, thematerials needed are a timer 101, the word bit tiles, and the game board104. The board 104 is shown with the supply tiles 103 on top. On theright are shown words 102 that have been formed by pairing active tilesand taking them off the board 104. The game is at the stage just beforethe second “add,” where a row of ten tiles from the supply tiles 103 areabout to be slid into row 10. The tiles at the top of the board 104 arebeing pushed down one row.

Play can continue in this manner: The active tiles at the top of theboard are the ones with spaces below such as TR, PO, CR, and KI. Theactive tiles at the bottom of the board are the ones with spaces abovesuch as CL, FA, EL, and ND. Some columns only have two or three tileswhile others have more, particularly column E with seven tiles. Sincethere are only three spaces left in column E, the player should focus onword bits FU and ID. The tile FU can be removed by linking it with ND incolumn D to form FU-ND; while the tile ID can be removed by linking itwith MA in column J to form MA-ID. Removing ID makes ME, below it,active. It can be linked with FA in column B to form FA-ME.

General variations, for example with respect to changing the length ofthe word formed and the type of linking (e.g., from word formation tomutation), or playing the game as a computer application, may be madewithout departing from the invention.

Variation 2C

The object of game version 2C is to link word tiles from one's personalsupply pool and to create a chain (“train”) with the most tiles based onthe letter change transformation specified (one- or two-letter change).The winner is the first to use up all the tiles in his supply pool, orthe one with the longest train at the end of the time limit.

Teams may be formed, if desired, and a time limit should be agreed upon(e.g., 5 minutes). Less experienced players may be given a head start.The tiles are mixed face down and distributed evenly amongst the playersas their supply pools. Extra bits are set aside. A timer should beassigned.

To start a game, each player picks a starting tile from his supply pooland gives it to the player to his left, who places it face up in frontof him. The timer is started, and each player turns over all his tiles.He starts building his train by getting a tile from his supply pool andlinking it to his starter tile. To lengthen the train, more tiles can beadded by linking a word to the word in either end of the train or byinserting a word between two words in the train. Any two adjacent wordsmust differ by one or two letters in the same position. Links can bemade to the side, top, or bottom of a tile so that the train can turn inorder to fit on the table.

The game ends when the time limit is reached. Players examine eachother's trains to find any invalid links. If it is discovered that atrain has an invalid link, the chain is separated at that point, andonly the longer segment counts for the score. One point is scored foreach tile in the train. The player/team with the highest score is thewinner.

Variation 2C1

Game variation 2C1 is played just like game version 2C except that thelinking configuration is not a chain but pairs of tiles; and the supplypool is first arranged into a pyramidal stack of specified design, andonly tiles that can be slid out may be used.

General variations, for example with respect to changing the linkingconfiguration (e.g., from chains to pairs), the type of linking (e.g.,from mutation to word formation), or the length of the word (for wordformation), may be made without departing from the invention.

Variation 2D

The object of game version 2D is similar to “SCRABBLE” but it is betterin that it offers more possibilities for linking tiles, and itchallenges one's analytical and pattern recognition skills more. Thecritical improvement is in the tiles used, which include not onlyletters but also word bits. Also, new words can be created in any of thefour directions. Each tile has a point value which is added to the scorefor each new word to which it contributes. The game board has specialsquares which increase the score of the word bit or the word.

Preferably two to four players can play. A time limit may be imposed perturn. Players usually receive seven tiles per turn, but less experiencedplayers can be given the “equalizer” of having more tiles and/or moretime. The two-letter word bits and individual letter tiles arepreferably placed in a bag and mixed well.

After determining which player goes first, turns go in a clockwisedirection. Each player gets seven tiles from the bag. The first playerputs down a chain of tiles across the center square of the board in onerow or column, such that each tile is part of at least one word as readin both directions. Capitalized, hyphenated, apostrophized, abbreviated,and vulgar or offensive words are preferably disallowed.

A player obtains a score according to the following: (i) The point valuefor a word bit tile is equal to its group number (1 to 9). Theindividual letter tiles have point values as follows: A, D, E, I, L, N,O, R, S, T, and U have a 1-point value; B, C, F, G, H, M, P, W, and Yhave a 2-point value; J, K, V, X, and Z have a 3-point value; and Q hasa 4-point value. Blanks (wilds) have point values from 0 (a letterblank) to 9 points (the group 9 wild). (ii) Each bit is scored for eachnew word it contributes to forming, read in any direction. (iii) A tilethat is placed on a “double bit” or “triple bit” square is scored twiceor thrice its face value, respectively. (iv) A tile being placed on a“double word” or “triple word” square will result in the word scorebeing doubled or trebled, respectively. (v) Each new word made by eachbit as read in all four directions is scored by adding the scores of themember bits. (vi) Any new word is scored only once, and only one wordcan be claimed in any one direction in each row or column. The playerreplaces the tiles that he used with tiles from the supply bag, and theturn goes to the next player.

For all succeeding turns, at least one of the tiles laid down must toucha tile already on the board, all the tiles must be placed in the samecolumn or row and cannot be separated by empty squares, and each newtile must be part of a new word with any other tile that it touches. Abit can be part of as many as four new words, one (and only one) in eachdirection (left to right, right to left, top to bottom, and/or bottom totop). The player must declare each new word that he is forming,specifying which new and pre-existing bits are being used. A player'sscore is the sum of the scores for all new words he has formed.

The validity of any word can be challenged, and the challenged playerhas the option to accept the challenge or withdraw the tile(s).Challenges are resolved using a dictionary. Preferably, the winner getsa 10-point bonus and the loser gets a 10-point penalty and also losesall points resulting from the invalidly placed tile(s). During a turn,instead of laying tiles on the board, a player has the option to pass orto swap tiles with tiles in the supply pool. The game ends when allplayers in succession are unable to lay down a tile. The winner is theplayer with the highest score.

FIG. 11A shows an example of how tiles may be placed down from turn toturn. As shown with the example 111 CR-O-SS, a word may be created aslong as it can be read in any of the four directions. An example of agame board 112 is shown in FIG. 11B. The four kinds of special squares,each having its own color, are symmetrically distributed.

In FIG. 11C, an exemplary turn-by-turn illustration of the game isshown. The colors and point values of each bit and where they are placedon the board are not shown for simplicity. For each turn, the tiles thatare placed down are shown with bolded letters, such as turn 1 where alltiles of CR-O-SS, and then turn 2 where the SE, E, and T of SE-CR-E-Tare bolded. The tables below the tiles list the bits that have beenadded for each turn, and the new words that each has contributed toforming in all four directions, which in turns 1 and 2 constitute justone word, which is only scored once. But in turn 3, the bit E hascontributed to the word M-E-SS-Y from top to bottom, and to the word E-Mfrom bottom to top. A similar case is seen in turn 4, where AR is partof M-AR going from left to right; AR-M going from right to left; andBE-AR going from bottom to top. In turn 5 for the bit T and turn 6 forthe word bit RE, an important rule is illustrated: when a bit forms aword in one direction, bits beyond the used bits may be ignored. Whenthe word SE-T is formed, the E and the BE in the same direction in therow, although contiguous, may be ignored. Similarly, for the word BE-E-Tfrom right to left, SE is ignored. In turn 6, for RE-SE-T, E and BE areignored.

Variation 2D1

Game variation 2D1 is played just like game version 2D except that noboard is used. The tiles are placed on a table. A player's score duringa turn is the total of the face values of tiles used in all the newwords that he has formed. The game ends after each player has had tenturns.

Variation 2D2

Game variation 2D2 is played just like game version 2D except that theobject is to be the one to put down the most tiles, using word formationor single letter replacement linking. A player starts with seven tilesas with game version 2D, and this pool is replenished after every turn.The tiles are placed on a table as in game variation 2D1, except that anew bit can be linked to any bit already on the table, as long as itforms a valid link with every pre-existing bit it touches. A player'sscore during a turn is the number of tiles that he has put down. Thegame ends after a player has scored 30 points.

Variation 2E

The object of game version 2E is to form as many four-letter words fromtwo-letter word bits cubes within the time allowed. A player starts bypreferably rolling eight cubes, and tries to form words by pairing upcubes. He may reroll the cubes four times. When able to pair up twocubes, he sets them aside and continues play until he has formed fourwords. At this time he gets eight new cubes and keeps playing until timeexpires.

Preferably two to four players can play. Kids and less experiencedplayers may play against better players by being given more time perturn and/or more rolls. If available, a set of cubes with four word bitsand two individual letters on the faces can be used and less experiencedplayers can be allowed to form shorter words. For advanced players,undeclared fives or sixes instead of fours may be formed.

The first player gets preferably eight word bit cubes from inside a dicebag and places them in a shaker cup. The timer is started. The firstplayer shakes the cup and rolls the cubes on the table. The top facesare the active bits which he may pair up to form words. He may rerollany or all cubes up to four times, but he has to use the shaker cup.After forming a valid word, he sets aside the cubes and may roll any ofthe remaining cubes. He continues until he has paired up all cubes ortime expires. If he has formed four words and still has time, he can geteight new cubes and form more words until time does expire. He declareshis words and gets one win chip for each valid word formed. Any word canbe challenged, with the winner of the challenge getting a win chip fromthe loser. For the next turn all cubes are returned to the dice bag. Thenext player takes his turn and plays as described above. The round endswhen all players have taken a turn. The player with the most win chipsafter five rounds is the winner.

FIG. 12A shows a typical word bit cube 121. FIGS. 12B-12H show astep-by-step demonstration of how a player can form words during a turn.The different cubes are shown, but the active word bit is shown aboveeach cube. In FIG. 12B, the player takes eight word bit cubes from thebag and rolls them. In FIG. 12C, the player is able to link two bits toone word (WA-ND), but none more. (The player fails to see the pairBR-EW.) The formed words, like WAND, are shown on the right side. InFIG. 12D. the player sets aside the two cubes and rolls the remainingsix again. In FIG. 12E, the player is again able to pair two bits to oneword, ST-EW, but none more. In FIG. 12F, the player rolls the remainingfour cubes but can form no word. In FIG. 12G, the player keeps a cubeand rerolls the other three. In FIG. 12H, the player is able to form onesame-color word BR-OW 123, just before time expires. The player leavestwo cubes unpaired. For the turn, the player formed three valid words(one being of one color) for 1+1+2=4 points.

Variation 2F

The object of game version 2F is to form the most words by first forminga word using letter cards that are added to the supply pool one at atime at fixed intervals (e.g., every 5 seconds) by a second player.Using the dealt letters, the player continually forms a new valid wordby changing two letters at a time. The game ends when the time expiresor the maximum number of cards in the supply pool is reached. Usually,four- or five-letter words are formed and continuously mutated.

At least two players should play, taking turns at being dealer/timer. Ifthe game is played as a computer application, a player does not have tobe dealer/timer. All agree on whether to have four- or five-letterwords, the time interval for dealing letters, the maximum number ofcards allowed in the pool, and the duration of the turn. A game boardfor the cards, similar to the one in FIGS. 13A-13L, is helpful.

To begin, the dealer shuffles the letter cards, turns on the timer, thenopens one card preferably every 5 seconds, placing each in a slot on thegame board in front of the active player. The active player forms thefirst word by placing the correct cards alongside each other in front ofhim. After this point, when he can, he takes two cards from the supplypool and covers two letters of the current word, to mutate it to a newword. He is in fact creating a word chain linked by double letterchange. The dealer records each word that the player forms. The playercontinues playing until the limit of 12 open cards has accumulated inthe pool, or five minutes have elapsed. The words are reviewed and anycan be challenged by any player. The winner of the challenge gets a1-point bonus, while the loser gets a 1-point penalty. All valid wordsare worth one point. After each player has taken three turns at playing,the scores are added and the player with the highest total wins.

FIGS. 13A-13L illustrate and example of game version 2F (in DoubleMutation mode) played from start to finish. The supply zone 132 is shownabove squares 133 where the player forms and mutates words. A timer 131is shown in FIG. 13A only. Twelve stages of the game are shown in FIGS.13A-13L. After the timer 131 is started, the dealer places four cards(the letter cards A, Z, E, and L) onto four of the supply pool 132 slots(FIG. 13A). The player forms ZEAL as his first word (FIG. 13B). Afterthe first four letters, one card is dealt preferably every 10 seconds,such as S, I and T (FIGS. 13B-13D). When the player can, he takes twocards and uses them to change the word to a new one. In his firstmutation, he places S and T on top on A and L, respectively, to changeZEAL to ZEST (FIG. 13D). The dealer continues dealing one card per tenseconds, while the player continues to make new words (MIST and MINE)(FIGS. 13E-13F). Sometimes, the player can form a new word withoutadditional cards being dealt (FIG. 13G). The game continues in this way(FIGS. 13H-13K), and ends when the maximum allowed cards (12 in thisexample) accumulate in the pool 132 (FIG. 13L), or time expires. In thisexample the player has created the word chainZEAL-ZEST-MIST-MINE-MORE-HOME-HYPE-HUGE-WAGE for 9 points.

Variation 2F1

Game variation 2F1 is played with one, two, or three separate words at atime, each being mutated differently on separate game boards placedalongside each other. The letter pools of the game boards are treated asone single pool so that a letter from one board can be placed on a wordon a different board.

Variation 2G

The object of game version 2G is to think of the most words that can belinked to a parent word by the word transformation specified by a dieroll. The parent word comes from a word deck and is usually five or sixletters long, and the transformations possible are one- or two-letterchange, addition, or removal. Each word is worth one point, but wordsthat are exclusively declared by a player are worth two points.

To start, each player is provided with dry erasable cards and a pen.Players take turns being dealer and roller. The role of scorer and timeralso rotates around. The dealer shuffles the parent word deck, thenturns one of the cards over to reveal the parent word. He then rolls thetransformation cube, which has each of the six possible transformationson its faces. The timer is started as the transformation to use isrevealed. Within the time allowed, players write one word on each cardthat satisfies the linking requirement. All stop writing when timeexpires, and the players present their cards to the scorer. Extendedwords are preferably not allowed. Each valid word is worth one point ifit is declared by more than one player. A word formed by only one playeris worth two points. The game ends after 10 parent words have beenplayed. The player with the most points wins.

FIG. 14A shows some of the preferred implements for playing version 2G,including a parent word deck 141, with the top card overturned to revealthe parent word PRIDE. A transformation cube 142 has been rolled to show“Change two letters.” One's players set of dry-erase cards 143 areshown, with seven valid words having been formed that differ from theparent word PRIDE by two letters.

Variation 2G1

Game variation 2G1 uses the same parent word card deck as game version2G, but the object is to be the first to write down six words, eachbeing linked to the parent word by a different transformation. Extendedwords are preferably not allowed. A complete set of six is worth 10points. An incomplete set is worth one point per word. The game endsafter 10 parent words have been played, and the winner is the playerwith the most points.

Variation 2H

The object of game version 2H is to create the most words of a specifiedlength by adding letters to the front of, around, or behind a word bit“seed.” The length of the words to create and the part of the new wordthat the seed is in are determined by the roll of special dice.

Preferably two to six people can play. Players take turns beingdealer/roller, timer, and scorer. Each player is provided with dryerasable cards and pen. The “word part” cube has “head,” “body,” and“tail” twice (on opposite faces) on the cube, while the “word length”cube has “four,” “five,” and “six” twice (on opposite faces) on thatcube. The dealer/roller picks a word bit tile or rolls a word bit cubeto reveal the word bit “seed” around which new words will be created. Hethen rolls both the word part cube and word length cube. If the wordpart is shown to be “head,” the word bit is at the beginning of the newword, “body” means the word bit is inside the new word, and “tail” meansit is at the end of the new word. The timer is started and all playerstry to create and write down as many words as they can that meet thecriteria. In this game extended words are allowed.

When time is up (usually 2 minutes), all word cards are shown to forscoring. Any word can be challenged, and if accepted the winner gets oneword from the loser. Each valid word is worth the number of letters init. The next round is played just as the first, with players rotating intheir roles. The game ends after ten rounds, and the player with thehighest score is the winner.

FIG. 14B shows the word bit FO being chosen from a word bit die 144. Theword part die 145 has been rolled as “head” 145 and the word length die146 has been rolled as a “six.” Player cards 147 are shown on whichwords that contain FO in the beginning and are six letters long havebeen written. The player has scored 42 points (6×7) under the scoringsystem described above.

Variation 2H1

Game variation 2H1 is played just like game version 2H except that theobject is to be among the first to call out words that satisfy the wordgrow criteria. The first three words are scored. No timer is used andwords are spoken rather than written.

Game 3

In game 3 and its versions (all puzzles) all the units are given, andthe goal is to find the correct partner for each, and make the rightlinks to form the required number of words or to find the correct bit orword train. The type of link is specified for each puzzle. In variation3A, for example, an even number of bits is provided and each has onlyone correct partner in order for the maximum number of words to beformed. For the preferred variation, the second part of the puzzle is tocorrectly stack the words in a configured grid to find a final word. Thegrid includes rows and columns that intersect to form grid sections,each of which is configured to receive an individual letter, a word bit,or the like.

Variation 3A

In each puzzle you are preferably given eight word bits in randomarrangement. The object is to arrange them in the given grid such thatfour 4-letter words are properly stacked on top of each other, and an8-letter word is spelled in the shaded column. Because some words in thestack may be shifted one square to the left or right, depending on whichrow a word is placed, its head or its tail may be the one in the shadedcolumn.

It is easier to solve the puzzle using word bit tiles corresponding tothe word bits in the puzzle. The puzzle grid 151 is shown in FIG. 15A.Only one word bit from each word is used in forming the eight-letterword. The puzzle is best solved in two steps. First, each word bit iscombined with its correct partner to form four 4-letter words. All wordbits must be used, and each word bit may be used only once. Second, thefour words are arranged in the four heavily outlined boxes on the leftsuch that the word bits in the shaded column spell, from top to bottom,a secret eight-letter word. These steps need not be performed in theorder described to complete the game. Variations, such as placing theindividual word bits in the grid 151 first, are also acceptable.

Referring again to FIG. 15A, shows the puzzle grid 151 and the word bittiles 152 used to solve the puzzle. The solution 153 is shown to theright. Each word bit may only be paired with its correct partner inorder to form four words, and these are shown to be SE-ER, DA-RT, PO-PE,and RE-IN. The correct way to arrange them in the grid 151 is shown inthe solution 153, where the final eight-letter word, RE-PO-RT-ER, hasbeen found.

Variation 3A1

Game variation 3A1 puzzles are the simplest puzzles, featuring a smallergrid (see e.g., grid 154 in FIG. 15B). Four word bits are given, and two4-letter words are arranged in two rows such that a four-letter word isformed in the shaded column.

Variation 3A2

Game variation 3A2 puzzles are intermediate puzzles, featuring a mediumsized grid (see e.g., grid 155 in FIG. 15C). Six word bits are given,and three 4-letter words are arranged in three rows such that asix-letter word is formed in the shaded column.

Variation 3A3

Game variation 3A3 puzzles are Spanish puzzles that are played exactlylike the game 3 variations described above, and come in three sizes aswell. An example is the grid 156 shown in FIG. 15D. The words in thispuzzle mean “cow,” “chief,” and the final word is “coffee.”

Variation 3A4

Game variation 3A4 puzzles are Pilipino puzzles that are played exactlylike the game 3 variations described above, and come in three sizes aswell. An example is the grid 157 shown in FIG. 15E. The words in thispuzzle mean “lamb,” “bubble,” and “we,” and the final word is “frog.”

Variation 3A5

Game variation 3A5 puzzles are French puzzles that are played exactlylike the game 3 variations described above, and come in three sizes aswell. An example is the grid 158 shown in FIG. 15F. The words in thispuzzle mean “well,” “side,” and “laugh,” and the final word is “again.”

Variations 3A3-3A5 are exemplary only, and the games described hereinmay be played in any language capable of reducing words to similar typesof bits.

Variations such as the use of individual letters instead of word bits,the use of three-letter instead of two-letter word bits, the use of morethan two bits per word, the use of grids larger than four rows, and theuse of final words that differ in length from four, six, or eightletters long may be used without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

Variation 3B

Game version 3B includes larger puzzles than the 3A variations, but theobject is simply to use all the given word bits to form the targetnumber of words. The word bits used are all from a single color group ofthe WordBits two-letter set described above. Because each grouppreferably has twenty word bits, the target number is ten four-letterwords. FIG. 16A illustrates an example using the light blue group 4 wordbits 161. Each puzzle has only one solution of ten common words, andthis is shown for color group 4. Subsets of a color group may also beused to create smaller and easier puzzles.

Variation 3B1

Game variation 3B1 has the same objective of using all the word bits ofthe color group, but instead of forming four-letter words, five-letterwords are formed. This is shown in FIG. 16B. This solutions areaccomplished by adding an individual letter in front of, in between, orafter the two word bits 162. A valid word is worth two points; butextended words get a one-point deduction, and words with the word bitsseparated get a one-point bonus. Hence these puzzles have differentsolutions, some scoring higher than others.

Variation 3B2

Game variation 3B2 has the same objective of using all the word bits ofthe color group, but instead of forming four-letter words, six-letterwords are formed. This is done by adding two individual letters to thetwo word bits 163 (see FIG. 16C). Three points are awarded per word,with a one-point deduction for each extender letter, and a one pointbonus for each individual letter placed between the word bits. Hencethese puzzles have different solutions, some scoring higher than others.

Variation 3C

Game version 3C is a WordLinks maze puzzle. While the typical maze is adiagram with lines, open and blocked paths, and dead-ends, the WordLinksmaze puzzles that have been invented are very different in that eachmaze is preferably a grid of squares with a word or word bit in eachsquare. One may move from one square to another as long as the linkingrequirement, as specified, is met. The difficulty of each puzzle isbased on the size of the grid and on the number of forks in the possiblepaths. The goal of game version 3C is to find the shortest word chainthat can be linked by single letter change using the words in the maze,to go from one side of the maze to the other.

The start and finish of any game version 3C are preferably two wordsthat are a “doublet” i.e., related. The squares inside the maze arefilled with words of the same length. There is preferably more than oneway to get across, but some paths are longer than others.

See FIG. 17A shows an exemplary maze 172. The featured maze 172 providespaths for linking the word SIX to the word TEN, using three-letterwords. Larger mazes with four, five, or more-letter words are alsocontemplated. Starting at either word SIX or TEN, the participant movesinto a word in the nearest row that differs from it by single letterchange. Once inside the maze, the participant may move one or twosquares horizontally, diagonally, or vertically to the next word in theword chain. The player continues to move until the farthest row isreached, then the participant can hop out to the other word. Themultiple possible paths across the maze 172 are shown in FIG. 17A. Theshortest chain is SIX-FIX-FIN-TIN-TEN.

Variation 3C1

Game variation 3C1 is different in that the squares are filled with wordbits, and the linking is by word formation and movement inside the mazeis from one square to an immediately adjacent square only. Again thereare multiple solutions for getting from one side to the other, but onlyone which is the shortest word bit chain. In FIG. 17B, for example, amaze 173 is shown wherein the best path includes 9 steps:AY-OK-LO-SO-ON-LY-LI-KE-MA-ZE, forming the words OKAY, LOOK, SOLO, SOON,ONLY, LILY, LIKE, MAKE, and MAZE.

Variation 3C2

Game variation 3C2 is different from game variation 3C1 in that the mazeis a closed one with no entry or exit. One may start anywhere, and thegoal is to form the longest word bit loop, moving from square to squarein the same way. In FIG. 17C, for example, maze 174 is a 4×5 grid with20 word bits. The solution with the maximum 20 words being formedthrough the path is marked by a line, with the words formed being:VE-RB, CU-RB, CU-RE, RE-IN, RA-IN, ST-AR, CO-ST, CO-IL, FO-IL, FO-RT,TA-RT, TA-NK, LI-NK, LI-NE, NE-AT, ME-AT, ME-LT, BE-LT, BE-ER, andVE-ER. Thus the solution is a loop; but other 3C2 puzzles may have anopen chain as the solution.

Variation 3C3

Game variation 3C3 is similar to game variation 3C2 in that the maze isa closed one and the objective is to find the longest chain. Thedifference is that the maze is filled with words of different lengths,and the transformation allowed to make links is any of the sixoperations of changing, adding, or removing one or two letters. Forexample, FIG. 17D shows a maze 175 with the solution marked by a line.This particular puzzle has two ends that need to be connected by an openchain, but other 3C3 mazes have loops as the solution.

Variation 3C4

Game variation 3C4 is different from game variation 3C in two ways: thelinking is done by double letter change; and movement inside the maze isfrom one square to an immediately adjacent square only. It has thecommonality of having doublets and multiple solutions, with the shortestpath being the goal.

Game 4

In game 4 and its versions, the goal is to create the correct word chaingiven only the ends of the chain. The type of linking is by a specifiedword transformation. In variation 4A, for example, the player uses aspecially designed grid that provides built-in guides and constraintsand optional aids to entering letters and words. The grid preferablyincludes at least three rows and at least three columns which intersectto form grid sections, which in the figures are shown as squares. Thegrid is configured to receive individual letters, word bits, or the likein the each section, and a word in each row. In one variation, astarting word is provided in the first row and a different target wordis formed in the last row. In another variation only one of the startingand target words is given, but details of the transformation are givenfor each step.

Variation 4A

The object of variation 4A, a doublets puzzle, is to find the correctword chain linked by double letter change that connects one doublet wordto the other. The puzzle is presented in a special grid with aids (somebuilt in and others for optional use) based on a specific path/chain.Using double letter change instead of single letter change and alsosolving the puzzle within the grid allow a player to solve even the moredifficult transformations with very long path lengths.

FIGS. 18A-18C, show an exemplary puzzle, a partial solution, and thefull solution. As shown in FIG. 18A, the grid 180 includes a doublet ofwords 181 (in this case PURPLE and VIOLET) in the first and last rows ofthe grid 180 that are to be connected by a word chain. The main part ofthe grid 180 has six columns, one for each letter of the words. A chainof seven words must be written in the seven rows 182 between PURPLE andVIOLET. This is a double letter change puzzle, so each word must differfrom the word in an adjacent row by two letters in the same position, asshown in the solution 183 in FIG. 18C. The grid 180 has certain sectionsthat will be explained below.

In FIG. 18B, one sees that each column, such as the second column 184,is composed of vertical rectangular bolded blocks 185 of one or moregrid sections or squares. These blocks 185 are built-in guides called“LETTER BLOCKS” which allow the puzzle to be solved with reasonableeffort. All squares in a letter block are occupied by the same letter.For the second column 184, for example, the letter blocks at the top andbottom can readily be filled in based on the knowledge of the doublets181. The squares in rows 1 and 2, belonging to the same letter block 185as the U from PURPLE, must also have the letter U. The same process canbe used for the bottom letter block which has the letter I from VIOLET.In the diagram this is also done for the two letter blocks at the topright corner (letters L and E).

Row 1 can be filled with some certainty based on the letter pattern“_U_PLE” (knowing the first letter is not P and the third letter is notR based on the double mutation requirement). A good guess is SUPPLE(although RUMPLE is also possible). When we write the word SUPPLE acrossrow 1, it follows that the letter block in the first column would have Sin all its squares. One can continue to solve the puzzle this logicalway; and one can use the optional guides in case of difficulty.

Each row may include a “VOWEL FINDER” 186 (which is one of two optionalguides given to allow the player to adjust the difficulty of the puzzleto his skill level). The player has the option to use these clues ornot. The vowel finder gives the consonant-vowel (C-V) pattern of theword being sought. The guess for row 1, SUPPLE, is consistent with thepattern CVCCCV given.

The other optional guide, the “HIDDEN LINKS” 187, can be found at thebottom of FIG. 18B (but it may be given in each row). A hidden linksguide 187 is a letter/number sequence from which the player can easilyextract the letters for the row, if desired. But the word is hidden; tofind it, one ignores the numbers (1 and 0 are not used), and then marksevery third letter starting with the third. For example, for row 3, theclue 87YG4SGFEHJTBVTFJLCXEGT6, gives the answer “SETTLE”.

Even without the help of the hidden links to get SETTLE, one finds thatonly seven unknown letters (i.e., seven letter blocks) remain to befigured out if we fill the letter blocks in the lower right part of thegrid. After narrowing the choices for each word, and then trying apossibility out, the impact of entering one word on other words in otherrows becomes apparent due to way the letter blocks work. This allows oneto know whether the choice is a good one or not.

Variation 4A1

Game variation 4A1 is played the same way as variation 4A except thatonly one letter is changed at a time (single letter change). Normallythree, four, or five-letter doublets are used.

Variation 4A2

Game variation 4A2 is played the same way as variation 4A except thatthree letters are changed at a time (triple letter change). Normallyfive, six, and seven-letter doublets are used. This variation is alsogood when the letter patterns of one or both of the doublets is unusual,such as in AARDVARK-ANTEATER.

Variation 4B

Game version 4B is a doublet word chain puzzle but the doublet words donot have to be of the same length. This allows the puzzle design tocreate interesting doublet puzzles, for example CAT-CHEETAH andASTRONOMER-TELESCOPE. For education, puzzles with synonyms likeRICH-WEALTHY, antonyms like TITANIC-TINY, associated words likeCARDIAC-HEART, and examples like HAWK-RAPTOR are desirable. The linkingoperation is variable (one- or two-letter change, addition, or removal),just like in the maze variation 3C3.

From word to word and from row to row, the transformation does not staythe same, and so the grid used is somewhat different from variation 4Ain that letter blocks are only used when a part of the word chain is allby letter change. For the other steps, the type of transformation isgiven and sometimes the letters affected are given also.

Variation 4B1

Variation 4B1 is played the same way as variation 4B, except that thepurpose is mainly educational. Often the goal is to increase vocabularyand so only one end of the chain (the vocabulary word) is given, and thestudent gains the knowledge about the word when they find the othermember of the doublet, which is usually its synonym. In many puzzles thestart of the word chain is not a word but a word root, prefix or suffix,and the other half of the doublet when discovered teaches the studentabout what the word part means. Some features such as additional clues,part of speech, and sample sentences have been added.

Variation 4C

Game version 4C is a puzzle and a card game. It has the same object asvariation 4A, but the player is given only the doublet, with no grid.Sometimes the target number of steps is given. As a game, variation 4Cit is played with doublet cards, with the transformation and targetnumber of steps given. Without benefit of the grid these are usuallyshort-path transformations. The card is revealed and the first player toprovide the linking words is the winner.

Variation 4C1

Game variation 4C1 is a doublets puzzle and card game just like 4C, butthe chain is a three-unit chain and so, given the ends (the doublet),the player only needs to find the middle word. The card set includesdoublets that are linked by any of the six transformations as used ingame version 4B.

Game 5

In game 5 and its versions, the goal is to find the correct word bit orword chains or clusters given only descriptive clues (as in crosswordpuzzles) with the benefit of a configured grid and with the type oflinking specified. Game 5A is a fun and educational type of puzzle whichcombines features of crossword puzzles, word transformation, and wordfind.

Variation 5A

The object of game 5A, a puzzle, is to find the correct word chainlinked by double letter change guided only by crossword puzzle-typeclues and the constraints and facility of the grid with letter blocks asused in the doublets puzzle in game variation 4A. The object of thepuzzle is two-fold: to fill in a grid with four- or five-letter wordsthat are consistent with a theme, based on clues and letters filled infrom earlier entries; and to find, using one letter from each word inthe chain, the letters of words or phrase that reinforce or define thetheme.

Variation 5A puzzles are highly customizable and very suitable foreducational use. Clues can be written to provide hints plus information,worded so that use of the dictionary and/or the internet is required, ordesigned to do both. Themes can range from general topics to science tohistory. The level of difficulty can be adjusted to match the knowledgeand skill level of the student, to ensure that it offers just the rightamount of challenge, maintain interest, and provide encouragement and asense of accomplishment.

FIG. 19A contains a very short but illustrative example of a game 5Apuzzle. As can be seen, a first grid 191, similar to the one used ingame variation 4A, is provided, having a plurality of rows and columnsthat intersect to form sections, which can receive a letter, word bit,or the like. A word chain is the solution, but neither of the startingor target words is given. Instead, clues 192 are given for each row, andthe letter blocks (similar to variation 4A) of the grid allow the playerto fill in letters that help figure out the words in other rows. Thesolution to each clue 192 is a word that is to be placed in thecorresponding row of the first grid 191. A second grid 193 is providedwith initially empty spaces corresponding to the number of rows of thefirst grid 191. The second grid 193 requires some searching as oneletter from each word is to be chosen to read, from top to bottom,something coherent and consistent with a final clue 194. In thisexample, the final clue 194 is “a greeting” and the answer is“H-E-L-L-O” (see FIG. 19B, which provides the solution to the puzzle ofFIG. 19A). Due to the small size of this puzzle, there is no theme.Puzzles with as many as 20 or 30 rows are common and very suitable fordeveloping themes.

Variation 5A1

Game variation 5A1 is played the same way as variation 5A, but longerwords are used single and/or triple letter changes may be used as thelinking type in addition to or instead of double letter change.

Variation 5B

Game version 5B, another puzzle, is similar to variation 5A in thatthere is only one solution to the chain puzzle and no members of thechain are given. But with the benefit of clues and a constraining gridwhere adjacent units are required to satisfy the linking type, thepuzzle is solvable. The difference between version 5B and version 5A isthat the solutions to game version 5B puzzles are clusters instead ofsimple chains. The grid is similar to that of a crossword puzzle, buteach square is filled not with individual letters but with word bitswhich are linked by word formation.

For example, FIG. 20A shows an exemplary puzzle grid 201. The squares,each with coordinates of column letter plus row number, are to be filledwith word bits. A “duplex” 203, as shown in the list of clues 202 is apair of two adjacent squares, such as b3 and c3, and e1 and e2. There isone word and one clue per duplex 203, and in the illustrative cluessection 202, the duplex 203 is represented by the coordinates of its twosquares, given in the beginner version in the direction that the word isread. The partially filled grid 204 is shown in FIG. 20B. Bits in aduplex must form a word (type of linking=word formation) in any of fourdirections (see FEST and BULL). This type of puzzle can certainly bemade much bigger than the example given, such that the words and theclues are consistent with a theme, which would add to its appeal.

General Variations (Applicable to Many Games, Versions, and Variations)

Variation 6A—Change the Way of Linking

Variation 6A1—Mutation from Word Formation. Play is the same for wordmutation as word formation variation except the basis for forming bitpairs is that the two bits must differ by 1 letter in the same position;or four-letter words tiles are used instead of word bit tiles and thebasis for pairing tiles is that they must differ by 1 or 2 letters inthe same position. The revision can also occur in the other direction(from mutation to word formation).

Variation 6B—Change the Word Length.

Variation 6B1—Play is the same except letter tiles are included with thetwo-letter word bit tiles; and two, three, and four-letter words areformed.

Variation 6B2—Play is the same except that five-letter words are formedby adding one individual or undeclared letter to the two two-letter wordbits.

Variation 6B3—Play is the same except that six-letter words are formedby adding two individual or undeclared letters to the two two-letterword bits.

Variation 6C—Change the linking configuration created.

Variation 6C1—Play is the same as when forming pairs except that athree-unit chain is formed using the same linking type, and the creditednumber is the number of chains as opposed to the number of words.

Variation 6C2—Play is the same as when forming pairs except that theobject is changed from forming the most pairs to forming the longestchain using the same linking type. The credited number is the number ofunits in the chain.

Variation 6C3—Play is the same as when forming pairs except that theobject is changed from forming the most pairs to forming the highlybranched chain with the most links of the same type. The credited numberis the number of links.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could bemade to the embodiments described above without departing from the broadinventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that thisinvention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but itis intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention as defined by the appended claims.

I/We claim:
 1. A method of playing a word game among one or moreparticipants, the method comprising: (a) providing a plurality of gamepieces, wherein each of the game pieces includes a two-letter word bitor a three-letter word bit, each word bit being a fixed orderedtwo-letter combination or three-letter combination, respectively; (b)providing a first portion of game pieces to each of the one or moreparticipants to create a personal pool for each of the one or moreparticipants; (c) providing a second portion of the game pieces into asupply pool; and (d) allowing each of the one or more participants tocreate words of at least four letters by combining the game pieces fromthe respective participant's personal pool.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the game is played among a plurality of participants, the methodfurther comprising: (e) assigning a target number of words of at leastfour letters to each of the participants; (f) ending a round of playwhen a first of the participants creates the target number of wordsassigned thereto from the first of the participants' personal pool ofgame pieces; and (g) ending the game when a participant has won apredetermined number of rounds.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein thetarget number of words for each participant is based on a relative skilllevel of the respective participant, the method further comprising: (h)providing each personal pool with a minimum number of game piecesrequired to create the target number of words assigned to the respectiveparticipant.
 4. The method of claim 2, further comprising: (h) providingthe winner of a round with a token, the token increasing the winner'starget number of words of at least four letters by one in a subsequentround of play.
 5. The method of claim 2, further comprising: (h)allowing each of the participants to exchange at least one game piecefrom the respective participant's personal pool for an equal number ofgame pieces from the supply pool.
 6. A method of playing a word gameamong one or more participants, the method comprising: (a) providing aplurality of game pieces, wherein each of the game pieces includes atleast one two-letter word bit and/or three-letter word bit, each wordbit being a fixed ordered two-letter combination or three-lettercombination, respectively; (b) providing a first portion of the gamepieces to each of the one or more participants to create a personal poolfor each of the one or more participants; (c) providing a second portionof the game pieces into a supply pool; (d) randomly selecting at leastone two- or three-letter word bit from the supply pool; (e) allowingeach of the one or more participants to create words of at least fourletters by combining the at least one randomly selected two- orthree-letter word bit with at least one other two- or three-letter wordbit from the supply pool and/or the respective participant's personalpool; and (f) ending the game when a participant has formed a targetnumber of words.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the gamepieces in the supply pool is a die or other multi-faced polyhedronhaving a two- or three-letter word bit on each face thereof, and whereinrandom selection of word bits is performed by having one of the one ormore participants roll at least one game piece from the supply pool. 8.The method of claim 6, wherein the game is played among a plurality ofparticipants, and wherein each participant takes a turn randomlyselecting the at least one word bit from the supply pool.
 9. The methodof claim 6, wherein the game is played among a plurality ofparticipants, and wherein the participants compete to claim the at leastone randomly selected word bit from the supply pool.
 10. A method ofplaying a word game among one or more participants, the methodcomprising: (a) providing each of the one or more participants with agame card having a plurality of word bits arranged thereon in a gridhaving rows and columns, each word bit being a fixed ordered two-lettercombination or three-letter combination; (b) providing a plurality ofgame pieces in a supply pool, wherein each of the game pieces includesat least one word bit, each word bit being a fixed ordered two-lettercombination or three-letter combination; (c) randomly selecting at leastone word bit from the supply pool; (d) allowing each of the one or moreparticipants to create words of at least four letters, each word beingformed by combining the at least one randomly selected word bit with oneword bit in the grid of the respective participant's game card; and (e)ending a round of play when one of the one or more participants fillsone of a row, column, or the grid with valid words of at least fourletters.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the game pieces inthe supply pool is a die or other multi-faced polyhedron having a two-or three-letter word bit on each face thereof, and wherein randomselection of word bits is performed by having one of the one or moreparticipants roll at least one game piece from the supply pool.
 12. Themethod of claim 10, further comprising: (f) providing two activatorobjects, one of the activator objects having a plurality of row numbersthereon and the other of the activator objects having a plurality ofcolumn numbers thereon; (g) randomly selecting an activated square,column of activated squares, or row of activated squares in the grid oneach participant's game card using the activator objects; and (h)permitting the at least one randomly selected word bit to be combinedonly with the word bit in an activated square on the grid in eachparticipant's respective game card.
 13. The method of claim 10, whereinthe game is played among a plurality of participants, and wherein eachparticipant takes a turn randomly selecting the at least one word bitfrom the supply pool.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the game isplayed among a plurality of participants, and wherein the participantscompete to claim the at least one randomly selected word bit from thesupply pool.